Hōju no Tama
Information The Hōju no Tama is a sacred jewel under the protection of In'ei Temple. The temple has many such gems, however this one is both the most powerful and the most important as it has a very special nature. The jewel contains the slumbering spirits and the sum total of the knowledge of every monk of the temple who has contributed their power to sustain the jewel. Because of this, with every year that passes, and with each successive generation, the jewel grows in power. Every monk who obtains the rank of master and the Seikoki no Chikara spends time allowing the jewel to absorb their energy and knowledge, a unique trait that only this particular jewel has due to the unique process of its creation long ago. The chakra they donate contains the imprint of their consciousness, and that imprint will remain within the jewel for as long as it exists in the form of entities that can be considered spirits. The spirits within the jewel slumber unless the proper steps are taken to awaken the minds of the monks of the past. If the proper steps are taken, the spirits will be made manifest either individually or as a collective entity to whomever is in the jewel's presence. Otherwise it is akin to an incredibly powerful chakra battery, and indeed, can be used to power the defensive barriers of the temple should the need arise. The gem is extremely receptive to strong emotions. One must have a calm mind and a light spirit in its presence, for it will reflect the nature of those under its sway. Should darkness or wrath overshadow the jewel, the consequences will be disastrous as the feelings will be reflected throughout the jewel, angering the spirits and forcing them to recall any pain or anger that they experienced during their lifetime with poisonous intensity. The dark emotions will then be reflected outwards with invariably dangerous results. Once back in possession of one who is of right mind, the spirits will calm themselves and the jewel will return to normal. History and Purpose This particular gem was created to ensure a means of succession should there not be enough masters to pass on the Seikoki no Chikara. Hozoin In'ei, the aging Grand Master, worried about the survival of his fledgling order in turbulent times. To that end he gathered his strongest disciples, the ones who had undergone the ritual, and set a spherical diamond in the middle of a unique fuinjutsu array. They then replicated and modified the Ritual of The Sanctified Path, very slowly pouring their power into the gem over a period of six days, whilst maintaining a barrier around it to prevent the Seikoki from escaping. One by one, the disciples collapsed when they reached their limit. However, the Grand Master persevered. On the seventh day Hozoin In'ei sacrificed his life and poured the last of his Seikoki, along with the entirety of his life force, into the jewel. The monks therefore treat the jewel as the incarnation of Hozoin's will. Despite their best efforts to keep its existence a secret, knowledge of this artifact and its incredible power have spread. It has become a target for many powerful entities, including hidden villages. So far, none have been able to wrest the jewel away from its place in the temple, but the monks are ever vigilant. It is locked away in a concealed Sacred Grotto (In'ei Temple) and is protected by multiple barriers. Power It is unknown the exact amount of chakra contained within the jewel. What is known, is that it is able to output truly massive amounts of energy on a continual basis. This has never been attempted for more than an hour for fear of damaging the gem. Its energy output was once measured to be enough to equal or exceed a Tailed Beast of Kurama's stature not only in amount but also power level, and it can output chakras at this level and intensity seemingly in perpetuity. Furthermore, it is entirely possible that even chakras of that level are not the limit of intensity available to the jewel, however for fear of damaging the jewel, further levels of intensity have never been attempted, nor has it been necessary to. Unlike a tailed beast, the jewel is a physical object and can be destroyed. As such, maintaining the such intense chakra output is not done, for fear that the jewel might burst and cause cataclysmic devastation. It is incredibly dangerous even to users of Seikoki due to its vast powers as the intensity of its chakra can be difficult to handle even for them. It will never exhaust its supply of energy as it constantly rejuvenates its supply of chakra, like a living thing. It is the temple's most precious artifact, as it ensures that the Seikoki can continue to be imparted to others even if the Grand Master and his attendants are all killed. Powerful sealing styles such as the Four Symbols Seal can seal this incredibly potent Seikoki no Chikara into human bodies in a similar fashion to the creation of jinchuuriki, with similar effects. The amount sealed can vary greatly. If the time is taken to do so, it is possible to seal enough of the jewel's power into a body to equal or even exceed the amount that tailed beasts have at any one time, creating an ultimate power. This new being is called the Keshin, or Abata. One who calls upon the power of the jewel enters what is enters the Keshin no Joutai, a state that surpasses by leagues even Seikoki Sentou in intensity, scale, and power. In addition, the knowledge of the spirits in the jewel is also at their disposal. Thus, when one has access to the power of this jewel in any capacity, it allows mastery of all elemental releases and the various unique techniques of the many generations of monks that have imbued their Gift of the Hermit Group powers, Seikoki no Chikara, and skills of the masters of the past within the Hoju. While in possession of the jewel's chakra, even advanced Nature Releases can be utilized. In this way, even if the knowledge of the Ritual of The Sanctified Path is lost, the power of Seikoki can still be used by the Temple, along with their skills and wisdom. Inspiration and Trivia * Taken from a Buddhist ritual object known as the hōju 宝珠 or hōju-no-tama 宝珠の玉. In Japan, this jewel signifies the bestowal of blessings on all who suffer, for it grants wishes, pacifies desires, and brings clear understanding of the Dharma (Buddhist law). This equates to “wealth” in Buddhist philosophy. *Many deities are commonly shown holding this jewel (Skt. = Cintamani), including the 1000-Armed Kannon, Jizō Bosatsu, Kokūzō Bosatsu, and Aizen Myō-ō. * 財宝を得る. Grants wishes, brings wealth. Often depicted as a single orb with a pointed top, or as a set of three jewels, sometimes with a flame nimbus. * The wish-granting jewel has also served historically as one of Buddhism’s most important repositories of Buddhist relics -- the ashes, fingernail clippings, hair, bone, or teeth of the Historical Buddha. They were made in great number in mainland Asia and in Japan, and represent the “internationalization” of Buddhist teachings, as each nation that received the Buddhist philosophies erected numerous stupa designed with jewel iconography or containing a wish-granting jewel. * Relates to the Shikon no Tama from Inuyasha and the Hogyouku from Bleach. * The consciousnesses of the past monks and Grand Masters are meant to resemble the Avatar cycle from the Last Airbender. * The word "Keshin" means incarnation or avatar in japanese Buddhism.